DeWitt Health Care Network reports first confirmed cases of H1N1

DeWitt Army Community Hospital officials reported the first two confirmed cases of novel H1N1 virus within its health care system Monday.

An active-duty member and an 18-month-old child were seen at the hospital's Woodbridge Family Health Center earlier this month and were treated with Tamiflu. Both family members have recovered after staying home over the course of their treatment.

DeWitt providers are seeing a small number of patients daily with influenza-like illnesses, said Lt. Col. Leonardo Martinez, chief of preventive medicine at DeWitt. According to the case definition, symptoms consist of a fever over 100.5 degrees along with coughing, sore throat or nasal congestion.

Reports across the country indicate the novel H1N1 virus continues circulating in the U.S. The interim deputy director for science and public health program said in a press
briefing Monday "... it's important to dispel the idea that we're out of the woods, or that this was a problem that really didn't merit response."

Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat, one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leaders, said people continue getting sick, continue getting hospitalized, and are,
unfortunately, dying.

Six deaths have been officially reported in the country, with 21 states - including Virginia - reporting widespread or regional influenza activity.

The illness severity that health care workers are seeing across the country continues to be pretty similar to that caused by seasonal influenza, Schuchat said, though people are experiencing higher levels of influenza-like illness than is normal for this time of year.

"We feel this means we need to remain vigilant," Schuchat said. "Influenza is always serious, and influenza viruses are very unpredictable. So, unfortunately, it's uncertain right now how severe this outbreak will be in terms of the ultimate illness."

As a precaution, the CDC is advising people who are at risk of complications from influenza because of underlying illness, pregnancy, or advanced age to check with their health care providers before traveling.

Officials are seeing numerous outbreaks in schools as well, which is also very unusual for this time of year. Therefore, CDC officials continue urging people to take these simple preventive measures to protect themselves: proper and frequent hand-washing, covering coughs with a sleeve and not with hands, staying home when sick, and keeping children home when they're sick.

"The health of our Soldiers, employees and family members continues to be at the top of our minds," Martinez said. "Though we will always work hard to keep our beneficiaries healthy and safe, we really need everyone to continue taking these preventive measures to protect themselves and limit the spread of the novel H1N1 virus."